Family and friends of missing man, Dashad "Sage" Smith protested in front of Charlottesville City Hall on Thursday. They were voicing their discontent with city officials and law enforcement. They say the key to finding Smith is to obtain state and federal help.

"Trying to hold up the best that I can, but it's just getting harder to hold on to faith," said Dashad's grandmother, Lolita Smith. ::snipping2::Video at Link

Logged

" Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." - Daniel Moynihan

At least three other young women have disappeared in the area in the last five years. Nineteen-year-old Samantha Ann Clarke, who vanished after leaving her Orange County town house in September 2010, and 19-year-old DaShad Laquinn Smith, who disappeared in Charlottesville in November 2012, remain missing.

Morgan Harrington, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student, disappeared from the University of Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena while attending a rock concert in October 2009. Her remains were found three months later in a rural area. No arrests have been made.

Police have said they do not think Graham's disappearance is linked to any of the other missing women.

But Emily Kilroy, a consultant who also helped search Saturday, said the episodes are "starting to feel like a pattern" that's especially unfortunate in a college town with so many young women.

Logged

" Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." - Daniel Moynihan

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va (WVIR) - Investigators with the Charlottesville Police Department (CPD) are releasing new details about the disappearance case of a transgendered teenager.

Dashad “Sage” Smith vanished from along West Main Street almost three years ago.

Police are now saying the only person of interest in the case likely didn't have a hand in the disappearance.

Investigators working the case have released a new timeline of events from the night Smith vanished. Detectives say Smith left home to meet Erik McFadden at the Amtrak Train Station about 5:40 p.m. on November 20, 2012. •5:17 p.m. - Smith sends text message to Erik McFadden, “When r u leaving” •5:20 p.m. - McFadden replies, “I already did. I’m at the Hampton Inn.” •5:17 to 5:40 p.m. - Smith and McFadden exchange various text messages. •At approximately 5:40 PM Smith leaves his residence. •6:08 p.m. - McFadden sends text message to Smith, “Where u at?” •6:12 p.m. - McFadden sends text message to Smith, “I’m standing here where r u?” •6:18 to 6:37 p.m. - Smith talking on his phone with friend from Northern Virginia. Texts from McFadden come in during this time frame, but it is unknown if Smith read them. •6:27 p.m. - McFadden sends text message to Smith, “Bye u stood me up smh” •6:35 p.m. - Witness sees Smith walking on 4th Street NW. Smith stops and talks to witness at a bus stop in the 400 block of West Main Street. Smith tells witness he is going to meet someone at the Amtrak Station. •6:40 p.m. - Smith walks westbound on West Main Street. •7:00 p.m. - Unconfirmed account puts Smith alone at Wild Wing Café, which is next to the train state.A separate witness said three “cross-dressers” were seen inside the restaurant that evening. No video was available to assist in identifying them or to verify Smith was there. Police also note that there is no one that saw Smith at the train station.

According to a witness, Smith was wearing grey and black rain boots with purple and pink lining, grey sweatpants, and a black jacket with a hoodie.

McFadden told police the meeting never happened. McFadden had sent an email to his girlfriend saying he did meet with Smith, but added he was scared off by a group of approaching people.

McFadden disappeared a few days later, and has been considered a person of interest in the case.

Police are now backing off of McFadden for several reasons: Investigators don't believe McFadden had the means to dispose of a body. "Phone records indicate that they may not have gotten together at all," said CPD Captain Gary Pleasants.

"Someone somewhere at some point in time saw Dashad that afternoon. Maybe they saw him walking up the street alone. Maybe they saw him walking with someone else. Maybe they saw him get into a car, or go into a building. That's the person we need to hear from," said CPD Chief Tim Longo.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 434-977-4000.

A $20,000 reward is currently being offered in the case.

Logged

Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware/Of giving your heart to a dog to tear -- Rudyard Kipling

One who doesn't trust is never deceived...

'I remained too much inside my head and ended up losing my mind' -Edgar Allen Poe

The 19-year-old was headed to the train station to meet an acquaintance, then-25-year-old Erik Tyquan McFadden, who has gone missing as well. Charlottesville Police recently announced that her missing person case is now a homicide investigation and they’re calling McFadden a person of interest, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.

Authorities said that while they don’t have any hard evidence to suggest that Smith is deceased, the length of her disappearance increases that likelihood. A homicide investigation also gives law enforcement greater access to information and resources, such as bank and cell phone records.

The investigation into the disappearance of this young, black transgender woman reeked of unequal treatment, they said.

“Would that the police department had pursued community support for Sage’s search and reward fund as vigorously as our FOIA request revealed they had for cis, white Hannah Graham,” they wrote. “Would that the media were moved by Sage’s humanity to see hers as a story worth telling on its own merit rather than in relation to the area’s missing white women, in response to public outcry, or not at all.”

And now, nearly five years later, authorities are taking a closer look into what happened to Smith that night. McFadden is again a person of interest. And again, Sage’s grandmother and legal guardian, Lolita Smith, is angry.

“Frankly, I don’t understand why they waited so long. It’s been four years. I think the Charlottesville Police Department dropped the ball from day one,” she told the Times-Dispatch. “I’m angry. I don’t understand how some cases can be solved within a matter of days or weeks and my grandchild’s case hasn’t been solved yet.”

And while the family is holding out hope that Sage is still alive out there somewhere, they just want answers.

Logged

Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware/Of giving your heart to a dog to tear -- Rudyard Kipling

One who doesn't trust is never deceived...

'I remained too much inside my head and ended up losing my mind' -Edgar Allen Poe